Copyright
©The Author(s) 2015.
World J Clin Oncol. Oct 10, 2015; 6(5): 147-155
Published online Oct 10, 2015. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v6.i5.147
Published online Oct 10, 2015. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v6.i5.147
Table 1 Lay opinions about causes of breast cancer in Western Kenya
| No. of coded statements (%) | ||||
| Perceived cause | Kapsokwony | Mosoriot | Turbo | Total Opinions |
| 597 (38%) | 297 (19%) | 672 (43%) | 1566 (100%) | |
| Hereditary | 91 (15.2) | 33 (11.1) | 69 (10.3) | 193 (12.3) |
| Food consumed | 60 (10.1) | 38 (12.8) | 89 (13.2) | 187 (11.9) |
| Witchcraft and curses | 63 (10.6) | 7 (2.4) | 38 (5.7) | 108 (6.9) |
| Family planning methods | 23 (3.9) | 8 (2.7) | 25 (3.7) | 56 (3.6) |
| Alcohol and tobacco consumption | 18 (3.0) | 2 (0.7) | 26 (3.9) | 46 (2.9) |
| Breastfeeding | 12 (2.0) | 8 (2.7) | 8 (1.2) | 28 (1.8) |
| Not breastfeeding | 9 (1.5) | 6 (2.0) | 9 (13) | 24 (1.5) |
| Exposure to toxic substances | 11 (1.8) | 4 (1.3) | 7 (1.0) | 22 (1.4) |
| HIV and other sexual diseases | 6 (1.0) | 0 | 3 (0.4) | 9 (0.6) |
| Environmental changes | 2 (0.3) | 2 (0.7) | 4 (0.6) | 8 (0.5) |
| Radiation and vibrations | 7 (1.2) | 0 | 1 (0.1) | 8 (0.5) |
| Type of clothing | 2 (0.3) | 0 | 4 (0.6) | 6 (0.4) |
| Low sexual encounters | 1 (0.2) | 0 | 1 (0.1) | 2 (0.1) |
| Early sexual encounter | 2 (0.3) | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.1) |
| High number of sexual encounters | 1 (0.2) | 0 | 1 (0.1) | 2 (0.1) |
| Others1 | 25 (4.2) | 5 (1.7) | 13 (1.9) | 43 (2.7) |
| No opinions expressed2 | 264 (44.2) | 184 (61.9) | 374 (55.7) | 822 (52.5) |
Table 2 Lay perceptions of severity and symptoms/signs of breast cancer in Western Kenya
| No. coded statements (%) | ||||
| Perception | Kapsokwony 489 (36%) | Mosoriot 280 (21%) | Turbo 580 (43%) | Total Perceptions 1349 (100%) |
| Severity | ||||
| Killer disease | 105 (21.5) | 45 (16.1) | 116 (20.0) | 266 (19.7) |
| Breasts are removed | 10 (2.0) | 3 (1.1) | 12 (2.1) | 25 (1.9) |
| Curable if detected early | 10 (2.0) | 6 (2.1) | 2 (0.3) | 18 (1.3) |
| A disease like any other | 5 (1.0) | 6 (2.1) | 3 (0.5) | 14 (1.0) |
| It does not exist | 3 (0.6) | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 4 (0.3) |
| Spreads to rest of the body | 2 (0.4) | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 3 (0.2) |
| Cancer eats away the breast | 0 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (0.1) |
| Don’t know | 354 (72.4) | 217 (77.5) | 447 (77.1) | 1018 (75.5) |
| Symptoms/signs | ||||
| 1166 (40%) | 552 (19%) | 1192 (41%) | 2910 (100%) | |
| Changes in breast size | 207 (17.8) | 109 (19.7) | 266 (22.3) | 582 (20.0) |
| Pain, tingle or tenderness of the breast | 195 (16.7) | 88 (15.9) | 243 (20.4) | 526 (18.1) |
| Lump in breast | 165 (14.2) | 72 (13.0) | 129 (10.9) | 366 (12.6) |
| Discharge from the breast | 163 (13.9) | 58 (10.5) | 131 (11.0) | 352 (12.1) |
| Wound on the breast | 92 (7.9) | 39 (7.1) | 90 (7.6) | 221 (7.6) |
| Itching | 80 (6.9) | 17 (3.1) | 68 (5.7) | 165 (5.7) |
| Change in breast skin color | 44 (3.8) | 17 (3.1) | 27 (2.3) | 88 (3.0) |
| Rash on breast and skin peeling | 30 (2.6) | 8 (1.4) | 20 (1.7) | 58 (2.0) |
| Change in nipples | 21 (1.8) | 10 (1.8) | 17 (1.4) | 48 (1.6) |
| Swelling in any other parts of the body | 11 (0.9) | 8 (1.4) | 7 (0.6) | 26 (0.9) |
| General symptoms1 | 28 (2.4) | 33 (6.0) | 26 (2.2) | 87 (3.0) |
| Don’t know | 130 (11.1) | 93 (16.8) | 168 (14.1) | 391 (13.4) |
Table 3 Demographics of participants in Breast Cancer Awareness Measure survey in Western Kenya
| Participant attribute | Kapsokwony (n = 481) | Mosoriot (n = 277) | Turbo (n = 577) | Total (n = 1335) | |
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | ||
| Age (yr) | ≤ 30 | 187 (38.9) | 114 (41.2) | 223 (38.9) | 524 (39.3) |
| 31-60 | 265 (55.1) | 142 (51.3) | 320 (55.5) | 727 (54.5) | |
| 61-90 | 28 (5.8) | 17 (6.1) | 31 (5.4) | 76 (5.7) | |
| 91+ | 0 | 2 (0.7) | 1 (0.2) | 3 (0.2) | |
| Missing data | 1 (0.2) | 2 (0.7) | 2 (0.4) | 5 (0.4) | |
| Sex | Female | 414 (86.1) | 198 (71.5) | 449 (77.8) | 1061 (79.5) |
| Male | 67 (13.9) | 79 (28.5) | 126 (21.8) | 272 (20.4) | |
| Missing data | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.4) | 2 (0.2) | |
| Marital status | Married | 383 (79.6) | 202 (72.9) | 423 (73.3) | 1008 (75.5) |
| Single | 60 (12.5) | 59 (21.3) | 121 (20.9) | 240 (18.0) | |
| Divorced | 3 (0.6) | 0 | 3 (0.5) | 6 (0.5) | |
| Separated | 10 (2.1) | 8 (2.9) | 14 (2.4) | 32 (2.4) | |
| Widowed | 25 (5.2) | 8 (2.9) | 14 (2.4) | 47 (3.5) | |
| Missing data | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.4) | 2 (0.2) | |
| Education | None | 31 (6.4) | 14 (5.1) | 37 (6.4) | 82 (6.1) |
| Primary | 193 (40.1) | 130 (46.9) | 253 (43.9) | 576 (43.2) | |
| Secondary | 160 (33.3) | 94 (33.9) | 202 (35.0) | 456 (34.2) | |
| Certificate/diploma | 87 (18.1) | 35 (12.6) | 67 (11.6) | 189 (14.2) | |
| University | 10 (2.1) | 4 (1.4) | 16 (2.8) | 30 (2.3) | |
| Missing data | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.4) | 2 (0.2) | |
| Occupation | Business | 84 (17.5) | 33 (11.9) | 136 (23.6) | 253 (19.0) |
| Casual laborer | 9 (1.9) | 15 (5.4) | 19 (3.3) | 43 (3.2) | |
| Employed | 100 (20.8) | 58 (20.9) | 93 (16.1) | 251 (18.8) | |
| Farming | 157 (32.6) | 63 (22.7) | 121 (21.0) | 341 (25.5) | |
| Self employed | 22 (4.6) | 17 (6.1) | 30 (5.2) | 69 (5.2) | |
| Unemployed | 105 (21.8) | 91 (32.9) | 176 (30.5) | 372 (27.9) | |
| Missing data | 4 (0.8) | 0 | 2 (0.4) | 6 (0.5) | |
| Transportation | Boda boda | 138 (28.7) | 53 (19.1) | 79 (13.7) | 270 (20.2) |
| Car | 2 (0.4) | 9 (3.3) | 8 (1.4) | 19 (1.4) | |
| Matatu | 25 (5.2) | 88 (3.2) | 227 (39.3) | 340 (25.5) | |
| Walking | 314 (65.3) | 122 (44.0) | 259 (44.9) | 695 (52.1) | |
| Other | 1 (0.2) | 4 (1.4) | 0 | 5 (0.4) | |
| Missing data | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.4) | 4 (0.7) | 6 (0.5) |
- Citation: Naanyu V, Asirwa CF, Wachira J, Busakhala N, Kisuya J, Otieno G, Keter A, Mwangi A, Omenge OE, Inui T. Lay perceptions of breast cancer in Western Kenya. World J Clin Oncol 2015; 6(5): 147-155
- URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/2218-4333/full/v6/i5/147.htm
- DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5306/wjco.v6.i5.147